Florida official ‘stole 96-year-old victim’s $100k savings and blew it on a facelift and new home’
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A Florida official is under investigation after she was accused of stealing a 96-year-old woman’s savings and spending the money on a face lift and a new home.
Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill is accused by Florida investigators of securing a power of attorney over the unnamed elderly victim, which she used to buy a home and a facelift, along with clothing, car insurance payments, dental surgery, and a New Year’s Eve stay at a Miami hotel.
She is also accused of racking up over $10,000 in debt under the woman’s name.
Ms Hill has not been arrested or charged, but she is the subject of a state investigation that was triggered in February 2023 when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a tip from one of her staffers who had been fired.
According to an affidavit obtained by WESH, Ms Hill first met the woman in 2021 after hearing about her poor living conditions.
Within a month, she had become her power of attorney, pre-need guardian, and health care surrogate, the affidavit alleges.
At the time, the woman had more than $164,000 in her savings account.
The woman allegedly told law enforcement agents she remembers signing “some sort of document”, but did not understand the details of the legal papers.
Court documents also allege that the elderly woman told investigators she did not give Ms Hill her consent to use her savings to secure a mortgage for a home in the Lake Mann Estates area of Orlando.
Ms Hill’s son and girlfriend are believed to be living in the home, while she lives in a separate home that reportedly once belonged to the elderly woman’s parents, which she allegedly spent a large portion of the savings to renovate.
An Orange County judge has reportedly ordered Ms Hill to cease all contact with the woman, who has since received a new power of attorney.
Ms Hill, who has served as an Orlando City Council member since 2014, denied the accusations.
“It’s unfortunate that I have been thrust into these circumstances with these allegations,” she said, adding that she “loved and cared for” the woman “like my own family”.
“I trust in God above all things, and I trust in the process. After ten years of service for the City of Orlando, I’ve illustrated my love and compassion for my constituents, my city, and my family. I know the truth; I know I’m entitled to due process, in which I trust, and I will await my day in court to prove my innocence,” she told The Independent.
“The City has been made aware of an investigation by FDLE and related civil litigation involving Commissioner Hill. We are not privy to any of the details of that investigation, nor are we involved or named in the litigation,” the City of Orlando said in a statement.
